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Kimley's Reviews > Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music

Wagnerism by Alex  Ross
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it was amazing
bookshelves: 21st-century, critical-essays-theory, music, farrar-straus-giroux, book-musik

Wow! Just, wow!

Tosh and I discuss this on our

A famous quip goes “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.� Whether you find Wagner’s music to be sublime or bombastic, this is an essential read. It is not a biography or an examination of his music but, more interestingly, it’s a very deep dive into the enormous cultural and political influence Richard Wagner has had on his contemporaries and everyone since, from writers to painters, dancers, philosophers, politicians, and filmmakers. The diversity of those who’ve come under the spell of Wagnerism is beyond compare. And this is despite Wagner’s well-known antisemitism and association with Hitler and the Nazi regime. Cancel culture hasn’t quite figured out what to do with Wagner but Ross leaves no stone unturned in this enormous and hugely satisfying read.

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Reading Progress

July 15, 2020 – Shelved
July 15, 2020 – Shelved as: to-read
July 15, 2020 – Shelved as: 21st-century
July 15, 2020 – Shelved as: critical-essays-theory
July 15, 2020 – Shelved as: music
July 15, 2020 – Shelved as: farrar-straus-giroux
August 11, 2020 – Started Reading
August 12, 2020 – Shelved as: book-musik
September 4, 2020 – Finished Reading

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